Leon Louw, executive director of the Free Market Foundation (FMF) is willing to wager SAA CEO Vuyani Jarana R100,000 that his three-year turnaround plan will not work and that by 31 March 2021 – his stated timeframe – SAA will not be in profit. This excludes any privatisation or business rescue proceedings – both likely being now too late and ruled out by Jarana himself. The condition for this wager is, that when Jarana pays the charity, it will be from Jarana’s own money and not from public funds. Louw is offering Jarana personal “skin in the game”. Some may dismiss this as a PR stunt. It is not. It is a serious wager to illicit serious intent about a very serious abuse of public funds.

Risking his career and personal reputation by accepting SAA’s poisoned chalice takes courage. Will Jarana accept Louw’s wager? Is he a betting man?

Is Jarana serious about his turnaround plan? Does he really believe that SAA will make a profit in 2021? Is he so confident of this that he will condone diverting nearly R22 billion from other, far more essential causes of poverty, healthcare and education to fund subsidising the rich to fly? If so, then he has to accept Louw’s wager. To do otherwise shows doubt. It is easy to gamble taxpayers’ money; not so one’s own.

Yet again, the South African taxpayer is being asked to fund SAA by another colossal R22bn. Can we, should we trust Jarana that this money will not be squandered as before? The answer is no, and this is the reason why Louw is confident he will not be looking for R100,000 from his own pocket.

There have been eight CEOs and at least nine turnaround plans. Total government support for SAA now totals R46bn, while the last time it made a profit was 2012. Just ask the poor on every street corner if this has been a worthwhile investment.

Jarana has a very heavy responsibility to shoulder – and if he is serious about his task, he should publically accept this solemn wager. Not to do so, would show a lack of conviction and faith in his and SAA Board’s ability to fix SAA.